Process and device for ozonizing tobacco



May "6, 1930. s. ROSENHOCH PROCESS AND DEVICE FOR OZONIZING TQBACCO Filed July 9, 1928 Patented May 6,1930 A 1,757,477 I UNITED STATES PATENT @FFIfiE SAMUEL ROSE'NHOCH, F BREMEN, GERMANY PROCESS AND DEVICE FOR OZONIZING TOBACCO Application filed July 9, 1928, Serial No. 291,283, and in Germany July 11, 1927.

This invention relates to a process of and l. Acids, for instance nitric and organic device for refining raw tobacco by treatment acids, with ozone; 2. Bases, for instance ammonia, nicotine Ozone treatment of tobacco for the pup and allied alkaloids, and pose of an easy and complete destruction of 3. Indiiferent substances such as cellulose, 55 microbes, is well-known. It applies parlignine, starch, albumen, wax, pectin, nicoticularly to microbes contained in water, the tine, and others. ozone being employed in very small quanti- It is true that long ago it has been proties. However, a practical process whereby posed to improve tobacco and to prepare it the tobacco leaves may be prepared for the for fermentation by bringing it into conreception of the ozone has not so far been tact with ozone either in gaseous form or made known. v dissolved in a liquid and mixed with am- The object of the invention is to refine the monia. This process failed, however, in that raw tobacco in such a manner that all its the ammonia tended on the one hand to degood qualities will be utilized to the full composethe tobacco and on the other hand 65 extent while less good and bad qualities are to preserve the tobacco in its raw state. But suppressed. even if the ammonia were left out, the treat- The quality of tobacco is, as is wellment of the tobacco with ozone for the purknown, dependent on its origin, its treatpose of fermentation, as has previously been 2 ment, fermentation, manipulation and stordone, tends to increase the microbes instead ing as well as on the weather, the climate, of annihilating them, and the fermentation kind of manure employed in the growth of itself with ozone has not been successful owthe tobacco and on other circumstances. ing to the diificulty of ensuring a uniform Raw tobacco of all kinds and origins, even if treatment.

of the best quality,canunder given conditions In order to free the raw tobacco from 75 and treatment, be affected with diseases which microbes and refine it in such a manner that the most experienced experts are unable to the necessary and valuable qualities are redetect. A. good many tobaccos do not reveal tained while neutralizing the acids and bases, any change in structure and colour and are which detrimentally affect the valuable subet laden with microbes which set up, in stances during the burning of the tobacco, so the half-finished or finished product, putridthe following process has been devised: ities which are harmful to the human .or- The raw tobacco is in the first place cleared ganism. At all events, the diseases of toat the rib ends of all foreign matter such as bacco, whether the latter is in the raw Or in insects, larvae, eggs and the like. This may the finished state, are almost always due be effected by means ofabrush. The rib ends 85 to the activity of microorganisms. Besides, are then slightly moistened with sterilized the raw substance can, through various water at room temperature, several hours hecauses such as soil and weather conditions, ing allowed for the moisture to penetrate be subjected to a qualitative change without into the leaves. The latter are next sepaany accompanying change in the colour. rated, foreign plant matter and impurities 90 Such changes are therefore difficult to recare removed, and the leaves, the diseased as ognize during the treatment. and diseased well as the healthy ones are now moistened tobacco is therefore liable to be treated and in their entirety with sterilized water and stored in such a manner that putridity is kept in moist condition for 10 to 16 hours bound to set in. whereupon the leaves are taken by means of 95 The present invention is based on a coma suitable conveying and mixing device plete recognition of the nature and compothrough a current of ozone which is so prosition of the raw tobacco which mostly conportioncd that the quantity of ozone is in tains combustible and volatile substances strict accordance with the quantity of nicosuch as tine contained in the raw tobacco. Thus, 10(

tobacco containi g a large quantity of nicotine is moved slowly through a speedy currentof ozone while the opposite conditions prevail in the case of tobacco containing little nicotine.

The gaseous ozone does not readily penetrate into the tobacco leaf owing to the resinous nature of the cuticle which on the other hand is essential for the proper glowing of the tobacco and for the production of the aroma. The invention includes a proc of and device for treating the tobacco elcctri cally so as to'break up the cell structure and enable the ozone to penetrate into the leaf. This is eifected' by spreading the tobacco thinly over an electrically charged convey.- ing device consisting of rollers, bands or the like whereby it is taken through the ozone current.

Tobacco is built up of three kinds of cells, the mesophyl forming the inner and larger part of the leaf, the stringy structure forming the nerveJand the epidermis which covers the inner part of the leaf. The electric treatment breaks up the different cells, without any destruction of aromatic resins or oils, so that the ozone can enter the leaf and effect its refinement.

In the accompanying drawings several forms of devices for carrying out the invention are shown diagrammatically,

Fig. 1 representing a longitudinal section of the. ozonizing machine,

2, a part view of the conveying band,

Fig. 3, a top view of the band, and

Figs. 4 and 5 are views of modifications.

According to the invention the tobacco is first brushed so as to clear away foreign matter such as insects, larvae, dust and the like. Then it is slightly moistened with sterilized water, e., water which has been freed from microbes and lime, and left for about 5 to hours so as to allow the moisture to be equally distributed. The tobacco leaves are next separated, foreign plant matter is removed, and the leaves, the diseased as well as the healthy ones, are again moistened with sterilized water at room temperature and left in moist state for about 10 to 16 hours whereupon they are taken by a suitable conveying device through a current of ozone. The conveying device is adapted to expose all parts of the leaf uniformly to the action of the ozone which should be proportioned in accordance with the nicotine contents of the tobacco.

The following is an example of the process carried out with 100 kgs. tobacco composed of a mixture of three kinds of different nicotine contents. for instance 3O lags. Montenegrine tobacco 40 kgs. lluigarian tobacco, and

. 30 k s. Salonican tobacco.

Each tobacco bundle is first brushed at the rib and with a root brush so as to remove as far as possible all'the foreign substances, and

tre /gave the rib ends are thereupon slightly moistened, preferably by means of a spray. llhebundlcs are left for about 5 hours for the moistune to penetrate wher upon they are loosened and, while diseased leaves are retain d, all foreign plant matter and impurities are remov d. The three kinds of tobacco are then mixed in the above proportions. the mixed product is now moistened in its entirety with .-tc!lliZ0 l water, the moisture being allowed about twelve hours to penetrate into the tobacco. Then the leaves are placed on a convoving and mixing device. The conveying elements consist preferably of endless hemp bands and they a e used for taking the leaves through an ozone current in opposite direction to the latter. The ozone is proportioned follows:

The percentage of nicotine in the abovementioned tobacco mixture is about 6.2 per cent. For 100 kgs. of the mixture 0.125 grammes ozone is required. i. c., a very small quantity as compared with the requirements of known processes which have to be carried out with a considerable surplus of ozone. In the present process, however, it is essential that all parts of the tobacco should come into intimate contact with the ozone. For this purpose the tobacco is not merely taken ti'irough the ozone current, but it is also subjected to a mixing process which consists in letting the material drop from the abovementioned conveying band onto another band which also passes through the ozone current. From the second conveying band the tobacco falls on to a shaker composed of a plain or perforated vibratory plate. The shaking is also carried out in the presence. of ozone.

In this manner the tobacco will not only be uniformly treated with the ozone, but it will also be intimately mixed. The treatment also causes the essential oils in the tobacco to be uniformly distributed and mixed with the nicotine and the camphor, and brittleness of the tobacco due to empty cells will be avoided.

A mixture such as described is rich in nicotine and therefore requires a slow movement of the conveying band and a comparatively speedy ozone current in order to keep the material in contact-with the ozone for a long time. In the case of milder tobaccos the speed of the band can be increased and that of the current can be reduced. Fine Levantine tobaccos such as Xanthi, Samsoum, Seres and the like. which contain about 4.5 per cent nicotine only. require about 0.75 grammes ozone per 1000 kgs. tobacco.

The. conveying device as well as the ozonizing elements are adapted for easy and exact regulation.

After the ozonizing. the raw tobacco is given a rest for about 4 hours during which time it must not be touched with the hands or with iron implements. Contact with implements of wood or horn does no harm.

The better to open out the tobacco cells for the reception of the ozone, the process may be carried out in the following manner, reference being had to the accompanying drawings:

After the tobacco leaves have been separated from one another as already explained and left to soak for 10 to 16 hours so as to contain at least l per cent moisture, they are, either cut or uncut, treated electrically with a View to break up the cells. For this purpose the moist tobacco is fed through a hopper a. into a closed box 6 of wood or other suitable insulating material wherein it is spread thinly over an electrically charged conveying device such as an endless band 0, a system of rollers or the like. The electricity may be supplied through spring contacts e to one of the carrier drums (Z, the opposite drum (1 being connected through a conductor 7' to earth. Above the conveying hand one or more ozone producers g are provided whence the ozone is fed on to the conveying band by nozzles h in opposite direction to the movement of the band. Thus .the ozone gas will be blown into the thin layer of electrically treated tobacco which is fed forwards by the band. Also in this case the ozone supply is regulated in accordance with the nicotine contents of the tobacco.

F or the purpose of electric treatment, the conveying band, which is made of conducting material. for instance brass netting, is'

provided with pointed electrodes is in the form of studs, tines, hooks or brushes mounted on lists Z. As an alternative, the band may be corrugated or formed with a rough or brush-like surface.

Under the conveying band 0 another band n is arranged so as to receive tobacco discharged through the meshes of the band 0. Both bands deliver the tobacco into a hopper 0 which feeds it over a chute p into a collecting receptacle 9 wherein it is allowed to remain until ripe for further treatment.

The lists Z may be insulated from one another as shown in Fig. 4 and adapted to contact with terminals at the ends of the band, in which case the current is led direct through the tobacco.

In the arrangement according to Fig. 5, lists Z with pointed studs k are provided with contacts 8 which slide along commutator bars 1". The sections t of the bars are spaced like the lists Z, and alternate sections are connected to different poles of the electric supply. In this manner the direction of current passing through the tobacco will be continually changed.

The endless metal band may be replaced by a table or by a succession of plates fed through the box b.

Means are provided whereby the ozone supply and the conveying device may be independently controlled from outside the box.

The ozone producer g may be of any suitable known type. A conduit u is rovided through which the ozone returns rom the box 6 to the producer g. The only air vent of the .box is through the hopper d. Otherwise the box is closed so as to enable the ozone supply to be regulated and so as to prevent the tobacco from being touched by hand during the operation.

The electric treatment maybe effected by means of alternating current with a voltage of 110 or 220 V.

The conveying means may, as an alternative to the endless band, be composed of cylinders between which the tobacco is fed.

I claim:

1. A process of treating tobacco with ozone consisting in brushing the rib ends so as to clear them of foreign matter, moistening the rib ends with sterilized water, at room temperature, separating the tobacco leaves from one another, clearing away foreign plant matter, moistening the leaves in their entirety with sterilized water, leaving them in the moisture for 10 to 16 hours, treating the leaves with an electric current so as to break up the cells, passing the electrically treated leaves in a thin layer through and in op osite direction to an ozone current, and regu ating the ozone supply in accordance with the nicotine contents on the treated tobacco.

2. A device for ozonizing tobacco comprising means for producing a blast of ozone, electrically conducting conveying elements adapted to take the tobacco in a thin layer through the ozone blast, and means for passing electric current through the tobacco layer.

3. A device as claimed in claim 2 wherein the conveying means consist of an endless travelling band.

kl. A device as claimed in claim 2 wherein the conveying means consist of an endless travelling band, and tobacco-supporting elements on said band forming electrodes for the electric current.

5. A device as claimed in claim 2 wherein the conveying means consist of an endless travelling band, and metallic studs on said band adapted to support the tobacco thereon and to form electrodes for the electric current.

6. A device as claimed in claim 2 wherein the conveying means consist of an endless travelling band, electrically conducting lists on said band, pointed studs arranged on said lists so as to support the tobacco, and a commutator bar arranged so as to contact with said lists and form circuits through the tobacco layer.

7. A device for ozonizing tobacco, comprising an endless conveying apron made of metal netting, means for feeding the tobacco in a thin layer on to said apron, means for passing a current of ozone gas through the tobacco layer on the apron, means for passing electric current through the tobacco layer, a second conveying apron arranged under said former apron so as to receive tobacco discharged through the meshes thereof, and a hopper arranged so as to receive the tobacco from both aprons.

8. The device claimed in claim 7 in combinatlon with a casing enclosmg the aprons and the ozone producer.

SAMU'E L ROSENHOCH. 

